Newsroom

Janina A. Longtine, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Elected President of the Association for Molecular Pathology

Dr. Longtine's election results in a three-year term on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

New York

– September 4, 2013 /Press Release/ ––

Janina A. Longtine, MD, has been elected President of the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), an international medical professional association dedicated to advancing the clinical practice, science and excellence of molecular and genomic laboratory medicine through education, innovation and advocacy to enable highest quality health care.

Dr. Longtine's election results in a three-year term on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee; the first year serving as President-Elect and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee (2013-2014), the second as President (2014-2015), and the third as Past-President and Chair of the Nominating Committee (2014-2015). The turnover occurs at the society's annual meeting, which is held in November.

"In this era of genomic medicine, the field of molecular pathology is rapidly changing, and we must bring new knowledge and technologies to both the clinical and translational research settings, transforming our understanding, classification and treatment of disease," said Dr. Longtine, who is Vice-Chair of Molecular Pathology and Genetics in the Department of Pathology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "The Association for Molecular Pathology is at the forefront in guiding its members and the broader community through clinical implementation, economic, and regulatory challenges via advocacy, education, and evidence-based guidelines for innovative practices that improve patient care and outcomes. I am proud to lead AMP in these endeavors."

Molecular pathologists study the origins and pathogenesis of disease based on the characterization of inherited or acquired genetic mutations and alterations of gene products and translates them into clinical tests that provide more precise information for each patient's care. Mount Sinai's Division of Molecular Pathology and Genetics is particularly focused on cancer, with physicians and scientists performing an expanding array of biomarker tests that stratify cancers into biologic subgroups for rational, personalized therapy using advanced technologies.

The Department of Pathology is chaired by Carlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, who is a distinguished physician-scientist recognized internationally for his groundbreaking research in experimental pathology and molecular oncology. Dr. Cordon-Cardo has outlined a broad vision that redefines the discipline of Pathology, placing it at the core of patient management and individualized medicine.

"Dr. Longtine's election as the President of the AMP is a strong endorsement of her expertise and leadership in molecular pathology, a cutting-edge discipline that is key to the future of pathology, especially as we move into value-based medicine," said Dr. Cordon-Cardo. "I am most proud that Dr. Longtine is part of our leadership team as Vice Chair of Molecular Pathology and Genetics, is helping transform the practice of pathology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, and is training our next generation of pathologists."

Prior to joining Mount Sinai in 2011, Dr. Longtine spent her career at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where she was most recently Director of Molecular Diagnostics and Co-Director of the Center for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics in the Department of Pathology, Program Director of the Harvard Medical School Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. Previously, Dr. Longtine has served as the Chair of the Clinical Practice Committee and Chair of the Hematopathology Division of the Association for Molecular Pathology.

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Established in 1968, the Icahn School of Medicine is one of the leading medical schools in the United States, with more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 14 research institutes. It ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. The Mount Sinai Hospital is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 25 hospitals in 7 specialties based on reputation, safety, and other patient-care factors.